Amherst Center Recreation Working Group

The working group will meet for a period up to one year to assess and make recommendations on the focus area to include:

Town-owned Community Field (located at 205 Triangle Street),

Town-owned Hawthorne Property (235 East Pleasant Street),

The athletic fields and open space associated with the Amherst Regional High School (located on Mattoon Street),

The athletic fields and open space associated with the Amherst-Pelham Regional Middle School, and

The fields associated with Wildwood Elementary School (Strong Street).

The working group will assess and review the current and projected demand for the focus area in terms of organized school and town sports teams, events, and use by the general public. The assessment will consider options for reuse and reorganization of the fields/facilities, for current and future programs and activities, and to address changing demographics of the community and school-aged children. The assessment should inform the development of a Schematic Design Plan and Preliminary Cost Estimate for the focus area and serve as a reference document for capital planning purposes.

The working group shall conduct site visits and public meetings to inform the general public and to solicit public comment on the Schematic Design as it is developed.

The working group may engage a design consultant to conduct the assessment and hold meetings with the Consultant to develop the Schematic Design Plan and Preliminary Cost Estimates. The design consultant would help prepare the report with recommendations.

The Working Group will complete its charge with presentation of a report to the Town Manager within one year of its inception.

About Amherst

The Town of Amherst, located in the lovely Pioneer Valley of Western Massachusetts, is a diverse, inclusive community offering numerous educational and cultural opportunities.

Host to Amherst College, Hampshire College, and the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, the Town enjoys a tradition of open, professional, and high level of government services, quality education, support for open space and agriculture, and respect for its history.